Quick acting fluid coupling



United States Patent lnventor Bryce B. Evans Jackson, Mich. Appl' No. 781,869 Filed Dec. 6, 1968 I Patented Dec. 22, 1970 Assignee Aeroquip Corporation Jackson, Mich.

QUICK ACTING FLUID COUPLING Primary Examiner-Thomas F. Callaghan Attorney-Jerry K. Harness ABSTRACT: A fluid coupling having male and female bodies coupled by releasable detents on the female body. This body is made of inner and outer sections connected by a frustoconical spring washer which may be thrown overcenter to a releasing or a locking position. The outer section is fixed, for example to a tractor frame, and the detents are carried by the inner section. To couple the bodies, the male body is inserted in the inner female body section and the spring is forced overcenter. Disconnection is accomplished by pulling the male and female bodies apart until the spring snaps overcenter again.

PATENIED DEBZZ lam sum 1 [IF 2 v INVENTOR.

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QUICK ACTING FLUID COUPLING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention The invention relates tofluid couplings of the type having male and female bodies, the female body carrying radially movable detents which are held in a groove in the male body, after the latter is inserted in the female body, by a sleeve slidable on the female body.

2. Description of the Prior Art I In prior fluid couplings in this type it has been necessary,.in order to couple the bodies, to grasp either the female body or the sleeve and urge it in a direction freeing the detents so that the male body may be inserted.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION According to the invention, an annular frustoconical spring is disposed between inner and outer sections of the female body, this spring being shiftable overcenter to either one of two positions. The outer female body section is fixed, for example to a tractor frame, and the female body is connected to a fluid line. The inner section carries the detents and a portion of the outer section acts as a sleeve to hold the detents in locked position. When the bodies are disconnected, the overcenter spring will hold the inner and outer female body sections in a position freeing the detents so that the male body may be inserted in the inner female body section. Thus, an operator may couple the bodies merely by handling the male body, without the necessity of retracting or holding any portion of the female body. When coupled,'the overcenter spring will hold the parts in a position so that the sleeve locks the detents in place. Uncoupling may be accomplished by pulling the male body away from the female body, or by pulling the outer female body section away from the male body. The latter may occur, for example when an implement is unhitched from the tractor which continues to move forwardly. In either case, the spring will again snap overcenter, freeing the detents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of a first embodiment of the invention in which the inner female body section is directly connected to the fluid line, the bodies being shown in coupled position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 which shows the bodies in uncoupled position;

FIG. 3 is a view in coupled position in a second embodiment of the invention in which the outer female body section is directly connected to the fluid line, and

FIG. 4 is a view of the bodies of FIG. 3 in the uncoupled position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the coupling is generally indicated at 11 and comprises a male body 12 and a female body generally indicated at 13. The female body consists of an inner section 15 and an outer section 15, the latter acting as a detent locking sleeve as will be later seen. 1

Male body 12 has a groove 16 to receive a plurality of radially movable spherical detents 17 carried by portion 18. of inner female body section 14. Portion 18 has a cavity 19 for receiving male body 16, this cavity having a seal 21 which engages the male body after it is inserted.

Outer female body section 15 is slidable on portion 18 of inner section 14 and is fixed, for example to the rear frame 22 of a tractor which will normally pull an implement (not shown) to the left in FIGS. 1 and 2. Inner section 14 is movable with respect to outer section 15 between two positions, a detent locking position shown in FIG. 1 and a detent releasing position shown in FIG. 2. In its detent locking position, detents 17 are held in groove 16 by section 15. In the detent releasing position an enlarged bore portion 23 of section 15 is opposite detents 17 which are then free to move-radially outwardly so that male body 12 may be connected or disconnected from the female body.

A pair of shoulders 24 and 25 onsections 14 and.15 respectively define the detent releasing-position of the parts whereas a shoulder 26 on section 14 engages the'end of section 15 to define the locking position. The male and female bodies have fluid retaining valves 27 and 28 respectively which prevent fluid leakage when the bodies are uncoupled but are opened when the parts are coupled. Valve 28 is guided by a sleeve 29 mounted in section 14, for purposes described in my copend ing application Ser. No. 788,982, filed Nov. 29, I968, and entitled Fluid Coupling Connectable under High Pressure, said application being assigned to the assignee of the present application. A flexible fluid conduit 30 is connected to inner female body section 14 and passageways (not shown) lead from this connection to the vicinity of valve 28.

The inner and outer sections of the female body are connected by an annular frustoconical spring 31 sometimes referred to as a Belleville washer. The inner edge of this spring is retained in a groove 32 formed on section 14. The outer edge is disposed in a groove 33 formed on the inside of section 15, groove 33 being spaced a considerable distance outwardly from groove 32. Section 15 may be made up of two threadably connected parts, groove 33 being formed at the juncture of the parts -in order to facilitate assembly. Spring 31 is adapted to snap overcenter between the position shown in FIG. 1 and the position shown in FIG. 2. In the FIG. 1 position, the spring will hold outer section 15 in its locking position relative to section 14, whereas in its FIG. 2 position the spring will hold the outer section in its detent releasing position with respect to the inner section.

In operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, assume an initial coupled position of the parts as shown in FIG. 1. In order to uncouple the bodies, male body 12 may be pulled to the right with respect to the female body sections. At first, male body 12 will engage detents l7, pulling inner section 14 to the right with respect to fixed outer section 15, spring 31 flexing until it snaps overcenter. The parts will then arrive in the FIG. 2 position in which detents 17 are opposite enlarged bore portion 23 so that the male body is released. The female body sections will be held in their detent releasing os position.

Another way of uncoupling the bodies would be to pull leftwardly on outer female body section 15. This could occur, for example, when a trailer or implement being pulled by the tractor is unhitched, and the tractor continues to move forwardly. Male body 12 being mounted on the implement or trailer will, in effect, he pulled to the right with respect to the female body by this forward movement of the tractor.

Having arrived in the FIG. 2 position, the parts will be ready for recouplingof male body 12. This may be accomplished by insertion of the male body into the inner female body section 18 and pushing the male body to the left so that it engages shoulder 34 at the inner end of cavity 19. Outer female body section 15 being fixed, this movement will cause spring 31 to snap overcenter again to the FIG. 1 position so that the parts will arrive in their locking position. In neither the coupling nor uncoupling operation it will be necessary for the operator to handle any portions of the female body.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention which is similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2 but in which the outer female body section is connected'to the fluid line. The coupling is generally indicated at 101 and comprises a male body 102 and a female body generally indicated 103. This female body includes an inner section 104 and an outer section 105. As before, inner section 104 carries radially movable detents .106, and outer section 105 .has a portion 107 which acts as a sleeve to lock detents 106 in place when the parts are in the FIG. 3 position. A shoulder 108 on inner section 104 engages the end of outer section 105 to define the locking position of the parts. Inner section 104 also carries a fluid retaining valve 109 engageable with a similar valve 11 in the male body when the parts are coupled, so that both valves are opened.

-Outer section;-10 5. has a-port 112 to whichis: connected a t I fluid conduit IISQThis'conduitmay be of rigid construction outer section. 105 being, ,fixed,for.example, t a rear 'tractor. frarne member?1l4 ii\n anriular;frustoconical spring 115. is 3 disposed. betweense'ctions 104 l05'.; As in the previous. I embodiment, a groove llfionlsection 104' retains the inner 7 edge 'ofspring 115;and a groove ll' l on -the'i'nterior to we I piece section ma n n the outer edge of the spring.

g The fluid rfmmvfport' glll:passes through. a radial web- I, member 118 whichsuppforts .theinngri e'nd of valve 109 in the interior ,of:section 1.04. A seal 119 carried by section 105 en-' '3 'g'agejs fsection1 104. A chamber 121 isfornied. between the two ectiongthis chamberlbein'g defin'ed bya pair of seals 1 2 2and V I 1231which create a diil'erentialipressurearea counteracting: I

I the pre'slureexerted lay-the fluid on section 104 as a result of the .pre'senc'e'of mm 19. The purpose and function of these V I elementsof the construction described in my, copending I application. Ser No .=777,660,;jfiledNov 2i, 1968- entitled Quick Acting .EluidCou'piing andassigned to theassignee of J the present-application. Briefly, the of these parts is to 3 pennit'coupling and-uncoupling ofthebodies without 'move-' I mentioffouter female bpdysection'loi'so that fluid lin'e 113 I mayberigid; g I 7 ln ope Ion oftheembodiment of FlGS.-3 and 4;assuming, aninitial coupled position "of the pait's 'as shown on 16.. 1;;2 spring tlsgwillwholdlthe two femalebody sections in their [ockingfpoeition so that -de tentsflofi lock male body 102 in its dou'pledposition; Uncoupling of thebodies mayber'accom plished either byforward movement of olit'ersection 107fwith ijespect tomale bOdyZlOZ. oi-rightward; pulling of male body 1 1 1112, [as described withtres'pect to theprevious embodiment. in I Jeither case, inner femalebody section;l04 will be pulled to the r'ight.with..r'espect tothe outer section, snapping spring 115 I overeenter and releasing the deten ts. Male body 102 may then A pgtwithdrawn, and thefemale body sections will be in readiv .f female' 'body sectionwithout manipulation of eitherof the female bodysections.

' 2. .'ll'1e'cornbination according ,to jclairn 1, further provided 1 ness forrecoupling of the.

* I claim: Y

I I 1. ln; aquick acting fluid oouplingiot' the type having male I andfemale bodies with radially movable detents on the female reeeivable by the male bodyr'inner and outer sections for the female body. the innersection carrying-saiddetents the outer section being-slidablewith respect tothe innersection between locking and releasing the outer section having. a portion 'h'olding the detents inwardly when in its; 1 lockedposition but permitting outward movement of the detents when in its releasing positiommeans forming an annular v pocket between said innerandouterffemale body-'sectionsfl and an annularfrustoconical spring in saidp'ocltet connecting said inner arid outerfernale. Body sections and having an inner f edgeJretained in;a groove in sa'idinner :body section and an outeredge retained inja groove in said outer body section, said spring I being snapped :overcenter 1by relative movement between the-inner and outer sectionstoh'old them in either a -locking-or a releasing position, whereby uncoupling of said male'body from the femalebody will'cause said female body sections to' assume a positionpennitting recoupling of the bodies merely by insertion of the malebody into the inner with a fluid line connected to said inner female body section.

I '3. :The combinationaccording to claim Lfurther provided with afluid line connected tosaid outer female body section.

4. The combination according to claim 1, said outer body .sectionbeing formed or two threadably connected parts, said second groove being adjacent said threaded connection. 5. The combination according to claim 1; further provided with shoulders on saidinner and outer female body sections 'defining the locking-andreleasing positions of said sections. 

